Cigarette snuffer system



l 1956 w. F. LINCECUM 2,764,165

CIGARETTE SNUFFER SYSTEM Filed Feb. 14, 1952 7 FIG].

INVENTOR. WILLIAM ELINCECUM BY ram-.

United States Patent CIGARETTE SN UFFER SYSTEM William F. Lincecum, Van Nuys, Calif; Application February 14,1952, Serial No. 271,515 2 Claims. (Cl. 131-235) Generally speaking, the present invention relates to an improved cigarette snuffer system, and/or a snuffer adapted for use in such asystemi adapted for use in a great variety of different locations for the purpose of.

extinguishing the ignited tip of a cigarette, cigar or other orally smokable object, and for receivingashes and refuse such as cigarette butts, cigar butts and the like.

I am aware oi the fact that severalprior artsnuffer ash trays have been invented and developed heretofore, as well. as several independent snuilers. However, all of such prior art devices known to me have certain disadvantages which are completely overcome through the use of the present. invention.

For example, most of such prior art combination snufier ash trays consist of an ash tray provided. with snuffer holes in the rim of the ash tray. or in some other convenient location with respect to the ash tray. These snufiers. are usually both integral and closed at the bottom, thus leading to considerable difiiculty in. emptying them of accumulations of ashes, cigarette tips and the like, and making it very diflicul't to clean and polish the interior oh the snuffer holes. This: cleansing problerm is quite a disadvantage, because; aside; from the: difiiculty of. emptying the snufiers, the emptying,operatiomrequires that the entire ash tray be removed from its accustomed position, perhaps in a carrying support and inverted. Furthermore, the application of considerable force is usually required to eiTectively clean out the snuiier holes. This diificulty in cleaning out the snuffer holes is particularly undesirable in glass ash trays where the dirty interiors of the snuiier holes can be seen from practically all positions with respect to the ash tray.

Most prior art individual snuffers have the same disadvantage mentioned above in connection with prior art snuiier ash trays. Furthermore, they provide no region for receiving ashes and cigarette butts and the like. Also, most such prior art snuifers do not provide adequate means for efiectively and removably mounting the snuffer in a convenient accessible position for use.

Generally speaking, the basic form of the present system comprises hollow snuifer means provided with an open cigarette tip receiving end adapted to removably receive the ignited tip of a cigarette, and provided with an interior passage that is inwardly tapered extending from the open cigarette tip receiving end into the snuffer means and adapted to efiectively extinguish the ignited tip of a cigarette inserted into the hollow snuirer means through said open cigarette tip receiving end. Also included, is underlying carrying means provided with means arranged to engage and cooperate with the hollow snuffer means whereby to removably support and carry said hollow snuffer means with the open cigarette tip receiving end thereof in an accessible position for cigarette snuffing use.

In the preferred general form of the present invention, the inwardly tapered end of the interior passage is pro- 2 vided with a. second. open end somewhat smaller than open. cigarette tip receivingend.

In the preferred. general form of the present. inventions, the underlying carrying means may comprise an ash; tray.

The. snutfer of the present invention, because on its removable engaging cooperation with. the ash tray, cam be employed in association Withi the; ash tray to. provide both a. convenient snulfer and a convenient ash and cigarette butt receiver and to do soin a. very effective manner, with the snuifer virtually laterally immobilized with respect to the ash tray whereby to facilitate the. cigarette snufling operation. However, whenever de-- sired, the snuifer can be removed from engagement with respect. to the ashtray tofacilitate; emptying.

It should also be noted that the open-bottom form; at snulfer of the present invention is. particularly aduantageous because of the ease with which it. can becleaned. This is: so by reason of the fact that it is open. at bothends.

It should. also be. noted that. the open-bottom.- form. oi? snuffer means of the present invention will be effectively closedby the ash: tray thus facilitating the cigarette snuff.- ingoperation.

With; the. above points: in mind, it is an object, of thepresent invention to; provide a novelcigarette 'snutter system (and/or cigarette snuffer) arranged for efiective. supportable, and. en'gageable cooperation with respect to;

an. underlying. supporting; memben, usually, an ash; tray l whereby to eifectively mount. the cigarette snuffer in a convenient accessible location for use.

It is the. further object of the.- present invention to pro; vide a, system of the character set forthin. thepreceding objeetwherein the: cigarette snuifer is open at: both ends, thus facilitatingthe cleansing; thereof.

TiO. facilitate: understanding, reference will be: made; to the hereinbelow inscribed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1. is a perspective-view of an illustrative embodiment of the system of the present invention in assembled relationship; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the snutfer means shown in Fig. 1, as seen in direction of the arrows II-II.

In the specific example illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the hollow snuffer means is indicated generally at 1, and comprises a rectangular body 2 with a virtually fiat bottom and a virtually flat top. In the specific example illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the open cigarette tip receiving end is indicated at 3 and the interior passage is indicated at 4. The hollow snuffer body 2 is provided with a second open end 5, which is elfectively smaller than the cigarette tip receiving open end 3, and that the passage 4 therebetween is downwardly and inwardly tapered from 3 to 5.

Underlying carrying means is provided in the form of an ash tray 6, having a virtually flat bottom wall 7 and virtually vertical upwardly directed edge wall 8.

Additional cooperating means are provided and take the form of inwardly projecting ribs 9 carried by the side wall 8 at positions equidistant from the corner of the ash tray 6, and arranged to laterally immobilize the snuffer means 1 with respect to the ash tray 6 when in the engaged position shown in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the snuffer means 1 can be removed from the ash tray 6 by merely lifting it vertically out of the position shown in Fig. 1, and it can be replaced in a like manner.

It should be noted that the flat bottom of the snufier body 2 rests on the fiat bottom 7 of the ash tray in a manner such as to eifectively close the open bottom end 5 of the snuifer body 2. This, plus the tapered interior pas- Patented. Sept. 25, 12956 the.

sage 4 act to effectively and rapidly snuif out the ignited tip of a cigarette inserted downwardly through the open end 3 into the passage 4.

The form of the snuffer means itself whether single or multiple, can also be substantially modified. It may assume a number of different configurations, circular, triangular or otherwise as seen in either plan view or elevation or both. The ash tray can also be modified substantially;

The snuffer means can be made of any suitable material such as plaster, glass, ceramics, metals and the like which have the desired heat resistant characteristics.

-The embodiment of the present invention specifically described and illustrated herein is exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and the appended claims only, with due consideration for the doctrine of equivalents.

I claim:

1. An improved cigarette snuifer apparatus comprising hollow snuffer means provided with an open cigarette tip receiving end cooperable to removably receive the ignited tip of a cigarette and provided with a second effectively smaller open end and further provided with an eifectively inwardly tapered interior passage extending from the open cigarette receiving end to the second effectively smaller open end and cooperable to efiectively extinguish the ignited tip of a cigarette inserted into the hollow snufier means through the open cigarette tip receiving end thereof, and an underlying ash tray having upstanding edge walls provided with fixed laterally projecting snuffer engaging means and defining a fixed partial enclosure including an edge wall portion as a part thereof and removably cooperable for abutting and partially surrounding engagement with respect to the exterior of the hollow snuifer means to position it at a selected location with respect to one of said edge walls and in non-symmetrical relationship with respect to the ash tray and only par-tially coextensive therewith and with the open cigarette tip receiving end thereof in an upwardly directed accessible position for cigarette snufiing use. I

'2, An improved cigarette snuffer apparatus comprising hollow snufier means provided with an open cigarette tip receiving end cooperable to removably receive the ignited tip of a cigarette and provided with a second effectively smaller open end and further provided with an effectively inwardly tapered interior passage extending from the open cigarette receiving end to the second eiiectively smaller open end and cooperable to effectively extinguish the ignited tip of a cigarette inserted into the hollow snuffer means through the open cigarette tip receiving end thereof, said snuffer means being substantially square in plan view; and an underlying ash tray having upstanding edge walls defining at least one corner which is substantially square in plan view and provided with laterally projecting snuflfer engaging means positioned on each side of said substantially square corner and defining a fixed partial enclosure having at least three corners of a substantially square region therein and including two adjacent virtually mutually perpendicular walls on each side of said square corner, said snufler engaging means being cooperable in a partially encircling manner with respect to the exterior sides of the virtually square hollow snuffer means to position it in said corner with the open cigarette tip receiving end thereof in an upwardly directed accessible position for cigarette snuffing use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 102,679 Fay Jan. 12, 1937 1,480,069 Hipple Jan. 8, 1924 1,490,939 Rogers Apr. 22, 1924 1,563,805 Stenzler Dec. 1, 1925 1,634,761 Tice July 5, 1927 1,764,862 Vogelsang June 17, 1930 1,830,543 Heise Nov. 3, 1931 2,227,354 Kushiner a- Dec. 31, 1940 2,323,293 Boho July 6, 1943 2,477,419 Potter July 26, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 183,282 Switzerland Mar. 31, 1936 419,554 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1934 677,950 France Mar. 17, 1930 

